USAID awards $236m contract to ICF for global health surveys

ICF (NASDAQ: ICFI), a global consulting and technology services provider, has been awarded a five-year, $236 million contract by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Global Health. This recompete contract will enable ICF to continue delivering the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program, renowned globally as the “gold standard” of health surveys. For over 40 years, ICF has played a pivotal role in evolving the DHS Program into the world’s premier source for valuable data on population, health, and nutrition, which informs strategic planning, policymaking, and program management globally.

Under the new contract, ICF will focus on enhancing the capacity of participating countries to effectively gather, analyze, and disseminate data. Special attention will be given to inclusive approaches that consider the needs of vulnerable and marginalized populations. Additionally, ICF plans to implement technological innovations, including selective artificial intelligence adoption, to improve survey automation and data efficiency while maintaining country ownership and safeguarding sensitive information.

“The DHS Program has been instrumental in advancing our collective understanding of global health and its impact on populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries,” stated Jennifer Welham, Senior Vice President for Health, People and Human Services at ICF. “We are proud to continue our decades-long partnership with USAID by providing leading-edge health, survey research, and data management expertise to support the development of effective health policies and interventions.”

To date, the DHS Program has conducted over 400 surveys in more than 90 countries, gathering, analyzing, and disseminating accurate and representative data that supports health initiatives worldwide. ICF’s role extends beyond data collection to facilitating inclusive growth and sustainability, alleviating poverty, supporting clean energy, and addressing various global health challenges, from infectious diseases to health security.

This renewal of the DHS Program contract signifies a continued trust in ICF’s capability to manage complex global health data needs. It underscores the importance of reliable data in shaping effective health policies and interventions, particularly in resource-limited settings. The contract not only reaffirms ICF’s position as a leader in health data analytics but also highlights the critical role of data in global health advancements.